Dear all,

Carole here. Today we’re publishing an edit of an onstage Q&A I did last night at the Frontline Club with my former colleague, Guardian journalist Luke Harding, about his latest book: Betrayal: Trump, Putin and the New Age of Conquest. It was excellent timing because I wanted to talk to Luke about the deluge of information I’ve been seeing about a potential impending Russian attack on a European country. 

For weeks, senior intelligence officials of major European countries and world leaders including the prime minister of Poland have been warning that Russia may attempt to trigger an “article 5 event” – basically an attack on a Nato ally that, under the terms of the treaty, would require Nato to respond. 

If this news hasn’t penetrated your consciousness yet, it’s because there’s been very little reporting about it in the UK press; nor has Andy Burnham had anything to say. But the latest reports are making comparisons to the intelligence coming out of Russia ahead of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and although the Baltic states are considered the most likely target, as Luke said in the conversation, there’s every reason to believe that Britain is in the Kremlin’s sights, not least because of a programme of Russian sabotage that’s been taking place on British soil. 

In other news, the Nerve’s decision to focus a stream of our reporting on AI firm Palantir is once again vindicated with the news that its latest hire is the former deputy leader of the Labour party, Tom Watson. I found it gobsmacking at a personal level. During my Cambridge Analytica reporting, Watson was one of the most prominent MPs to speak up about the risks of intrusive surveillance technology, especially when combined with politics. Watson had already been on Palantir’s “advisory board”, but he’s now gone the whole hog, taken the Peter Thiel gold, and accepted an executive role. 

One unmissable piece to revisit is the report we did on the “Palantir pipeline” – the revolving door between government and the tech company. Watson’s appointment exposes the increasingly desperate measures the firm is taking to maintain its choke-hold on the British state in the face of increasing public disgust. We’re proud to have made a significant contribution to the body of work that’s helping achieve this.

Now I’ll hand over to the rest of the team with the links to today’s stories – and details of how to book for the Nerve Live this weekend:

The tragic case of Lindsay Clancy, the mother from Massachusetts who stands accused of murdering her three children, has become one of the biggest news stories of the year and polarised public opinion, particularly online. As Deborah Frances-White writes, “as a feminist with a profile, I was expected to answer questions” such as “would you be condemning a man who killed his children? Why do you make excuses for a woman?” But the facts are that men are far more likely to be responsible for so-called “family annihilation” – it’s only “when a woman kills that’s it’s a gendered issue.” Read Deborah’s column here

Deborah will also be taking to the stage at the opening of the Vision Festival this Friday night. She will bring her brilliant Guilty Feminist podcast to the Vision Hall.

“They already think they’re at war with Europe, and in particular the democracies of Europe. And by the way, they really hate the UK.” In this fascinating – and not very cheering – excerpt from Carole’s discussion with Russia expert Luke Harding, he explains why intelligence experts have been briefing that some kind of military incursion into a Nato country is increasingly likely as – with the midterms looking shaky for Trump – Putin decides to test Nato resolve before his de facto ally loses power. But this incursion is unlikely to be an obvious move, such as a troop invasion, says Luke – more probably something like a drone strike that could be blamed on Ukraine. Time to start prepping? Read the piece here.

Great female writers are in the spotlight this week, with Sharon Horgan’s hilarious new midlife dating comedy Youth hitting TV screens, a new novel from Louise Kennedy, whose bestselling debut Trespasses was made into a hit Channel 4 drama last year, and a season of archive plays on BBC Radio 4 to mark the Royal Court’s 70th birthday, kicks off with a new adaptation of Lucy Kirkwood’s The Children. With all that to enjoy, you might struggle to leave the sofa – but if you do there’s art, theatre and more to enjoy in this week’s hotlist. Read it here.

We’re extremely pleased to report that we have moved to a larger space for our Nerve Live event this Sunday (27 September) at the Vision Festival in King’s Cross due to high demand for tickets. Don’t miss the chance to hear our political columnist Sangita Myska in conversation with our Reform correspondent John Sweeney, author of The Real Nigel Farage; actor/comedian Kiell Smith-Bynoe interviewed about his life and cultural loves for the Recommender Live; and a panel including satirist and  “newsfluencer” Cody Dahler on fighting Hate with Humour, moderated by Carole. Get tickets here. Tickets cost £12; £3 for members; free for founders.

Thanks for reading. We’ll see you again on Friday.